Best Software for Advice Charities in the UK (2026)

Advice charities are the front line of social welfare in the UK. They handle everything from a ten-minute benefits query to a months-long debt casework file — often with the same small team, the same tight budget, and the same expectation from funders that every interaction is recorded, categorised, and reported on. The software these organisations use shapes how quickly advisers can help people and how convincingly they can demonstrate their impact.

This guide compares the leading CRM and case management platforms used by UK advice services in 2026, covering citizens advice bureaux, law centres, debt advice charities, welfare rights units, and generalist information and advice providers.

TL;DR: Charitylog is the most widely used CRM across UK advice agencies, with around 1,000 charity customers. AdvicePro was purpose-built for advice organisations in partnership with AdviceUK. Plinth offers a modern, AI-powered alternative with free-tier case management, AI-generated case notes, and built-in referral tracking. Lamplight and Salesforce are general-purpose options used by some advice services.

What you'll learn: How five platforms compare on case recording, referral management, funder reporting, and advice sector fitness — and which is the best fit for your service.

Who this is for: Advice service managers, operations leads, volunteer coordinators, and trustees at citizens advice offices, law centres, debt advice charities, and welfare rights organisations.

Why Software Matters for Advice Charities

The scale of demand on UK advice services is enormous. In 2024-25, Citizens Advice helped 2.71 million people through face-to-face, phone, email, and webchat channels, with a further 44 million visits to their website. Across England and Wales, Citizens Advice operates from approximately 1,900 locations with 19,600 volunteers and 10,000 staff. Beyond the Citizens Advice network, there are 42 law centres serving communities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland — down from a peak of 60 — helping over 250,000 people each year with problems including eviction, unfair dismissal, and the wrongful withdrawal of welfare benefits.

Debt advice charities face similarly relentless demand. StepChange, the UK's largest debt charity, reported that around 29 per 10,000 adults were StepChange clients in 2023. National Debtline found that a third of callers wait a year or more before seeking help, often deepening their problems and worsening the impact on their mental health. With 77% of UK charities maintaining or growing their income in 2025, the pressure to demonstrate value for money has never been higher — and that starts with the quality of your data.

The common thread is volume. Advice charities routinely handle hundreds or thousands of short interactions each month — a phone call about council tax, a drop-in about a benefits sanction, an email about a consumer complaint — alongside smaller numbers of complex cases that may last weeks or months. The software has to handle both ends of that spectrum without slowing advisers down.

What Advice Charities Need From Software

Advice services have distinct operational requirements that set them apart from other charity sub-sectors. Not every CRM is designed to handle the particular rhythm of advice work:

Quick Contact Logging

• Speed is non-negotiable. An adviser who sees 15 clients in a drop-in session cannot spend five minutes per record on data entry. The system must allow rapid logging of contact type, advice area, and outcome with minimal clicks.
• Flexible interaction types — phone, face-to-face, email, webchat, and outreach must all be recordable with appropriate metadata.

Case Categorisation and Advice Codes

• Standardised category systems aligned with funder requirements (e.g., benefits, debt, housing, employment, immigration, consumer, family, discrimination).
• Configurable taxonomies so that different projects within the same organisation can use different coding structures without conflict.
• Multi-issue recording — a single client may present with three or four interconnected problems. The system must allow multiple advice areas per case or contact.

Outcome Recording and Impact Measurement

• Financial outcomes tracking — Citizens Advice helped write off an average of £16,303 in debts per person and identified an average of £7,685 in additional annual income in 2024-25. Recording these figures accurately is essential for demonstrating impact.
• Non-financial outcomes — confidence, wellbeing, knowledge, and resolution rates. In 2024-25, 75% of Citizens Advice clients said their problem was resolved following advice.
• Automated aggregation for reporting to funders, commissioners, and boards without manual data extraction.

Signposting and Referral Tracking

• Inbound and outbound referral logging — tracking where clients come from and where they are referred onward.
• Integration with local service directories so advisers can find onward services quickly during a session.
• Closed-loop referral tracking to confirm whether a client actually accessed the referred service.

Funder and Commissioner Reporting

• Pre-built and custom report templates for common funders (local authorities, National Lottery, legal aid agencies).
• Data export in standard formats for submission to external monitoring systems.
• Dashboard views for managers and trustees to monitor service volumes, waiting times, and outcomes in real time.

With the UK charity sector's revenue expected to reach £87.3 billion in 2025-26 (growing at a compound annual rate of 5%), advice services face increasing scrutiny over how efficiently they deploy funding — and software is the backbone of that evidence base.

Platform Comparison

Plinth

Plinth is a newer entrant to the advice charity software market, built from the ground up with AI at its core. Its case management system is available on a free tier, making it accessible to small advice services and volunteer-run bureaux that cannot justify a four-figure annual software subscription.

Key strengths for advice charities:

• AI Case Notes — Plinth's standout feature for advice work. Advisers can record a session in natural language (or even paste raw notes from a phone call), and the AI structures, summarises, and formats the record. Citizens Advice North & West Kent reported saving over 50% of case note writing time using this feature. For a service handling thousands of interactions per month, that time saving is transformative.
• Partner CRM — purpose-built for managing referral relationships. Advice charities frequently signpost clients to dozens of local organisations; the Partner CRM tracks these relationships, logs referral volumes, and helps identify gaps in local provision.
• Impact Reporting — automated report generation that pulls directly from case data, reducing the manual burden of quarterly funder reports.
• AI Service Directory — an AI-powered local service directory that advisers can search during client sessions to find appropriate onward referrals. This replaces the manually maintained spreadsheets and bookmarked web pages that many advice services still rely on.
• Configurable case categories — while Plinth is not pre-loaded with advice sector taxonomies in the way that AdvicePro is, its category system is fully configurable, allowing organisations to replicate their existing coding structures.

Colchester CMA Debt Centre in Colchester, Essex, has used Plinth since February 2024 for case management and AI grant writing. Centre Manager Paula Goddard used Plinth's AI grant writing tools to secure £12,000 in grant funding: "Within 10 minutes I had a great first draft of a grant and within 30 minutes I was submitting it."

Considerations: Plinth does not yet have the deep integration with advice sector standards (such as the Citizens Advice case recording categories) that Charitylog and AdvicePro offer out of the box. Organisations migrating from a sector-specific system should plan for configuration time.

Pricing: Free tier available for core case management. Paid tiers for AI features, Partner CRM, and advanced reporting. See pricing for current plans.

Charitylog

Charitylog is the most established CRM in the UK advice charity sector. Used by around 1,000 charities, it has a particularly strong presence among citizens advice bureaux, Age UK branches, and generalist advice agencies. Its pricing model — a single annual fee based on the charity's turnover, with unlimited user licences — makes it predictable and cost-effective for organisations with large volunteer teams.

Key strengths for advice charities:

• Sector familiarity — many advice workers have used Charitylog before, reducing training time. It is the default choice for a significant proportion of the advice sector.
• Unlimited users — critical for advice charities that rely on 20, 50, or even 100+ volunteers alongside a small paid team. Per-user pricing models can be prohibitively expensive in this context.
• Comprehensive case and contact recording with advice category support.
• All data stored in the UK with GDPR-compliant data handling.
• In-house support team included in the annual fee — no per-ticket charges.

Considerations: Charitylog is a mature product, and some users report that the interface feels dated compared to newer platforms. It does not offer AI-assisted case notes or an integrated service directory. Reporting is functional but can require workarounds for complex funder requirements.

Pricing: Annual fee based on charity turnover. Includes unlimited users and support. Three pricing tiers available.

AdvicePro

AdvicePro was developed in partnership with AdviceUK, the UK's largest network of advice-giving organisations, and has been refined collaboratively with its user base since its founding in 2011. It is a cloud-based, modular system designed specifically for the operational patterns of advice agencies.

Key strengths for advice charities:

• Purpose-built for advice work — AdvicePro was designed from the outset for organisations that deliver information, advice, and casework. Its data model reflects the realities of advice delivery, including multi-issue cases, quick contact logging, and outcome tracking.
• Modular architecture — organisations can start with core case management and add modules as their needs grow, avoiding the cost of features they do not use.
• Legal aid integration — for law centres and legal advice services that handle Legal Aid Agency contracts, AdvicePro includes legal aid case management features.
• Security and compliance — data stored in a UK-based ISO 27001 data centre, GDPR-compliant, and Cyber Essentials Plus accredited.
• Workload management tools — advisers can manage their caseload, track deadlines, and receive alerts about overdue actions.

Considerations: AdvicePro's user base is smaller than Charitylog's, which means fewer peer organisations to learn from. The interface is functional rather than visually modern. It does not currently offer AI-powered features.

Pricing: Modular pricing. Contact AdvicePro for a quote based on organisation size and modules required.

Lamplight

Lamplight is a general-purpose charity CRM that is used by some advice services, particularly those that combine advice delivery with other activities such as community development, training, or group work. It is not advice-sector-specific, but its flexibility allows it to be configured for advice recording.

Key strengths for advice charities:

• Multi-service support — if your organisation runs advice alongside other programmes (e.g., wellbeing groups, employment support, community activities), Lamplight can record all of these in a single system.
• Configurable data fields — advice categories, outcome types, and referral routes can all be set up to match your service model.
• Good reporting tools — Lamplight's reporting has a strong reputation among smaller charities.

Considerations: Lamplight is not designed specifically for advice work, and organisations may need to invest time in configuration to replicate the workflows available out of the box in AdvicePro or Charitylog. It does not include AI features or an integrated service directory.

Pricing: Tiered pricing based on number of users and data storage. Free trial available.

Salesforce (Nonprofit Cloud)

Salesforce is the world's largest CRM platform, and its nonprofit edition is used by some larger advice charities, particularly those with complex multi-site operations or significant integration requirements. Salesforce offers ten free licences to eligible nonprofits through its Power of Us programme.

Key strengths for advice charities:

• Scalability — Salesforce can handle the data volumes and organisational complexity of large advice networks.
• Integration ecosystem — hundreds of apps and integrations via AppExchange, including telephony, email marketing, and data analytics tools.
• Einstein AI — Salesforce's AI tools can assist with case routing, predictive analytics, and automated record summarisation.
• Custom reporting and dashboards — virtually unlimited flexibility in reporting, though this typically requires specialist configuration.

Considerations: Salesforce is not designed for the advice sector and requires significant customisation to replicate advice-specific workflows. Implementation costs can be substantial — many advice charities report spending more on consultancy and configuration than on the licences themselves. Per-user pricing beyond the free tier is expensive for volunteer-heavy organisations. The learning curve is steep for non-technical staff. With 88% of UK charities now using digital tools like QR codes and 47% active on video channels, Salesforce's enterprise-grade complexity can feel disproportionate for organisations that need simplicity above all.

Pricing: Ten free licences for eligible nonprofits. Additional licences at a discounted nonprofit rate. Budget for implementation consultancy.

How to Choose the Right Platform

Selecting software for an advice charity is not primarily a technology decision — it is an operational one. The questions that matter most are practical:

1. How many users do you have? If you have 50 volunteers and five paid staff, per-user pricing will eliminate most options. Charitylog's unlimited user model and Plinth's free tier are designed for exactly this scenario.

2. Do you need advice-sector-specific features out of the box? If your organisation uses standard advice category codes and needs legal aid integration, AdvicePro is the most purpose-built option. If you need flexibility to configure your own approach, Plinth and Lamplight offer more freedom.

3. How important is AI-assisted case recording? If your advisers spend significant time writing up case notes after sessions, AI Case Notes can deliver immediate time savings. Currently, only Plinth and Salesforce (via Einstein) offer this capability.

4. Do you manage a referral network? If signposting and referral tracking are central to your service, Plinth's Partner CRM and AI Service Directory are specifically designed for this. Other platforms offer basic referral logging but not relationship management.

5. What does your funder require? Some funders and commissioners mandate specific reporting formats or even specific systems. Check your contract requirements before committing to a platform.

6. What is your budget? With 31% of UK charities reporting an annual income of less than £5,000, cost is a genuine constraint. Plinth's free tier, Charitylog's turnover-based pricing, and Salesforce's free licences each address this in different ways.

Frequently Asked Questions

What software do most Citizens Advice bureaux use?

Most local Citizens Advice offices use Casebook, the national Citizens Advice case management system, for core advice recording. However, many also use a second CRM — typically Charitylog or AdvicePro — for project-specific work, particularly where they deliver services funded by external commissioners with separate reporting requirements. Some bureaux are exploring AI-assisted tools like Plinth to reduce the administrative burden on advisers, especially for complex casework.

Can advice charities use a free CRM effectively?

Yes — with caveats. Plinth offers a free tier that includes core case management features, making it viable for small advice services and start-up projects. Salesforce provides ten free licences to eligible nonprofits, though the implementation cost and complexity can offset the licence savings. Free tools work best for organisations with straightforward workflows and limited reporting requirements. As your service grows or funder demands become more complex, you may need to move to a paid tier or a more specialised system.

How do advice charities handle GDPR compliance in their CRM?

Advice charities process sensitive personal data — including financial information, health conditions, immigration status, and details of domestic abuse. GDPR compliance requires a lawful basis for processing (typically legitimate interests or, for special category data, substantial public interest), clear retention policies, subject access request procedures, and technical measures including encryption and access controls. All five platforms reviewed in this guide offer GDPR-compliant data handling, but organisations must also ensure their own policies and staff training are robust. UK-hosted data (offered by Plinth, Charitylog, and AdvicePro) simplifies compliance by avoiding international data transfer considerations.

What is the average cost of CRM software for a small advice charity?

For a small advice charity with 5-20 users, expect to pay between £0 and £3,000 per year depending on the platform. Plinth's free tier covers core case management at no cost. Charitylog's pricing is based on turnover, making it affordable for smaller organisations. AdvicePro's modular approach allows you to pay only for the features you need. Salesforce's free licences can work if you have in-house technical capacity, but consultancy costs for initial setup typically range from £5,000 to £20,000.

Recommended Next Pages

• Case Management Software for Charities — a broader comparison of case management platforms across the charity sector.
• What Are AI Case Notes? — a detailed explainer on how AI-assisted case recording works and where it delivers the most value.
• Charitylog Alternatives — if you are considering moving away from Charitylog, this guide covers the options.
• Referral Software for Charities — a focused guide on referral tracking and signposting tools.
• CRM for Small Charities — guidance for organisations with limited budgets and small teams.
• Impact Reporting — how to build a compelling evidence base for funders and commissioners.

Last updated: February 2026 Running an advice service? Book a demo or contact our team.